Worst Nightmare
by Kung-fu Blaziken
Summary: Every major hero has one foe that is the stuff of nightmares. A foe that can easily harm the hero emotionally, or take away that which gives him power.  HE is Danny's...


_For clarification, I don't own Danny Phantom...now to the good stuff._

_Every major hero has one foe that is the stuff of nightmares. A foe that can easily harm the hero emotionally, or take away that which gives him power. The best type of this foe is one that is like the hero in almost every respect, but is twisted, dark, like a reflection in a cracked mirror._

_HE is Danny's. Someone who could destroy entire cities effortlessly. Someone who could kill without a second thought. _

_The nightmare. The ultimate enemy. The DARKNESS._

_Happy Halloween. (Laughs evilly)_

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><p><strong>Danny Phantom:<br>****Worst Nightmare**

Why Vlad wanted that gem from the museum was puzzle. Why he sent the Fright Knight to get it was a mystery. Why Vlad was even bothering, since Danny and Valerie had trashed his lab a week ago when they rescued Danielle, was a Gordian Knot.

But, he was doing it, on all three counts, so Danny Phantom was there to stop him. Or, rather, stop the Fright Knight.

The battle had taken the two from the museum to the steps of Town Hall. The sky had darkened, and a storm was brewing. But, that wasn't stopping either ghost.

"Give it up, Mr. October," said Danny, "I don't know what Plasmius wants with that gem, but he won't have it."

"You think Plasmius wants this gem?" asked the Fright Knight, almost incredulously.

"Uh, yeah."

The Fright Knight laughed. The reaction was enough to stop both Valerie and the Fentons in their tracks. Both parties had arrived moments ago, and were as confused as Danny was.

"What's so funny?"

The Fright Knight's laughs tapered off into chuckles.

"Plasmius may be my new master, but it is not for him that I steal this gem. It is for ME!"

"WHAT?"

"Confused, child? This gem is mine. It was taken from me centuries ago. With its power, I can…you know what? I'll just show you."

The ghost clasped the red gem in one hand. It glowed a strange light. He darted forward and nicked Danny with the Soul Shredder before the ghost boy could dodge.

Danny looked at the small cut, then at the Fright Knight.

"Uh, I think your sword is broken. Isn't it supposed to send me to a nightmare dimension?"

"Usually, yes. However, with the Shadow Gem, I am able to instead bring your worst fear _here_! I am able to give your fears form and send them to destroy you. I can see the one being whom you are most afraid of. It is quite interesting, actually."

Danny paled.

"Fright Knight, you have no IDEA what you are doing!"

"Actually, I do."

The Soul Shredder glowed an eerie red light.

"NO!" shouted Danny, but it was too late. Red light projected off of the sword. Energy clumped together until it coalesced into a small object.

The Fright Knight laughed, called his horse, and rode away. Danny did nothing to stop him. He was staring with mounting horror at the object before him. He barely noticed Valerie, Jack, and Maddie come up behind him.

"Isn't that a Fenton Thermos?" asked Maddie.

"You're afraid of a _thermos_?" asked Valerie, trying not to laugh.

"It's not the thermos. It's what's inside," said Danny, voice shaking, "Please let it not have worked. _Please_ let it not have worked."

A cracking noise pierced the air, and Danny flinched. The thermos continued to crack, then finally burst open. Bone-chilling laughter echoed across the square as a black shadow erupted from the thermos. Thunder rumbled and lightning crashed in the background.

"No. Please, anything but HIM," whispered Danny.

The shadow revealed itself. A muscular body, a black-and-white jumpsuit, a jagged cape, green skin, pointed ears, vampiric teeth, serpent tongue, flaming white hair. Blood red eyes, full of hatred and a thirst for destruction. Eyes of a killer, a psychopath, a monster. A being who would have the most hardened of criminals shaking in their boots. A being who would leave Pariah Dark peeing in his pants out of pure fear. Insanity incarnate. Hatred personified. A nightmare made real.

He spoke in a voice that would send a chill up the spine of even the most cold-hearted and unfeeling. A voice that would leave the most fearless, be he man or ghost, a quivering jellyfish.

"Hello, Danny."

He was known by many names. The Doomsday Ghost, the Ultimate Enemy, the Bane of the Ghost Zone, the Destroyer of Worlds, the Corrupted Hero.

He preferred Phantom. Dark Phantom.

"What is THAT?" said Jack, raising his ecto-gun.

"Hey, wait, look at his chest. The symbol," said Valerie, "Danny Phantom?"

"I was," replied Dark, "But I grew out of it."

"Everybody RUN!" shouted Danny, charging at the evil ghost.

Dark Phantom simply smiled. He was going to enjoy this. With a punch that was almost too fast for the eye to follow, he hit Danny in the gut. He then grabbed Danny's collar and threw him across the square.

"Come now, do you really think you can beat me? I AM you."

Danny rose, fists ablaze with energy.

"No you're NOT!" he shouted, firing a massive ghost ray.

Dark Phantom smirked and caught the ray in his hand, spinning and redirecting the blast right back to Danny. Danny barely dodged. As he flew up, he was blindsided by a glowing fist. Green rope whipped at Danny's side again and again. Dark Phantom laughed as he continued to whip Danny.

"You're making this too easy! You know, it's pretty ironic. All your posturing, all your heroic acts, all the times you've claimed to be the good guy. And yet, you know that it isn't entirely true. You have a great darkness inside you, and all it would take is a little push. One wrong move, one misstep, one crucial moment, and you would become what you hate. _You would become_ _ME_!"

Dark threw Danny to the ground. He slid a little, but when he tried to get up, he was hit with several ghost rays. Dark continued to strike and blast Danny, laughing all the way.

"It's killing you, isn't it? The jealousy. All the power I possess. You _wish_ you had it. You want it; you want it badly. The power to destroy your enemies, the power to crush all those who get in your way."

Danny slid back to where the Fentons and Valerie were. They were watching, stupefied at the sheer brutality displayed by this creature. They weren't sure how much Danny Phantom could take.

"Let's review my list of accomplishments," said Dark Phantom, "I blasted the GIW to smithereens. I devastated the armies of the world. I picked apart all my old enemies, one by one. Freakshow: ripped out his black heart. Box Ghost: left him scarred and one-handed. Johnny 13: left him paraplegic. Ember: ripped apart her vocal chords. She lost her beloved singing voice after that. Spectra, Aragon, Desiree, Lunch Lady, Walker: All vaporized. The older spirits, like Fright Knight, were forced to serve me, or be destroyed. Skulker and Technus had to become one just to SURVIVE. Everyone who ever crossed me was left broken or dead. Dead-er in the case of the ghosts."

Dark Phantom laughed.

"I must say, I enjoyed it all. The screams, the begging for mercy."

Danny staggered up and fired an ice ray at Dark. Dark dodged it easily, and sent a jet of green flame at Danny. The pain was intense, and Danny screamed.

Before Danny could fall to the ground, Dark caught him in green rope and yanked him closer.

"Ah-ah-ah. I'm not done. Let's go over friends now. All the people you trust."

Dark faced Jack and Maddie.

"He trusts you, you know. He considers you brilliant inventors, somewhat adequate hunters, and the closest thing a ghost could have to family. He trusts you to do the right thing, to choose to protect. He cares about you, and wishes you would trust him. Yet, despite how he feels, you condemn him and hunt him. It tears him up inside."

The ghost gave a smile that sent a shiver up their spines. He turned to Valerie.

"The mighty Red Huntress. A powerful ghost hunter. He knows you do what you feel is right, and that's all that matters. Yes, you let your temper get the better of you, and you can hold a HECK of a grudge, but he knows, in the end, you do what is right. He respects you. He once had a crush on you, you know. He got over it. Teen love. It never lasts, does it?"

Dark picked Danny up and looked him in the eye, speaking the next words so only Danny to hear.

"Which begs the question of how young Samantha is any different. Does she really like you? Or, does she secretly think you're a freak. Your best friend, your secret love. The one person you want, but fear to have, lest you lose her. Be it losing her friendship, losing her to another guy, or just plain losing her. The some goes with your tech head of a best friend. You fear that jealously will one day again consume him. You fear to lose the one who has been like a brother to you."

Danny moaned for Dark to stop, but he was on a roll, his voice rising.

"You fear that one day, all the power you possess won't be enough. One day, you will lose everything you care about, and start down the same dark road that I did. Sure, you put up a façade of indifference and cockiness, but in reality, you are _terrified_ every time you go into battle. You fear that you won't be able to save someone, or that the ghost will wreak much destruction before you can stop it. You fear that you may lose your precious secret, or that your power will overwhelm you and turn you into me. You fear much, but for some reason, you keep going. And then, you come home, battered and bruised, sleep fitfully, and the whole thing starts _all over again_ in the morning. Why do you bother? Why continue playing the hero, when it would be so much easier to let me out. I can take away the pain, you know that, but you still refuse me. Why?"

"Because, I have the power to help," said Danny, straining against his bonds, "It's my responsibility to do so. I'm the only one who can. It's a burden, but it's my burden. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Dark Phantom snarled and smacked Danny across the face.

"You are weak! You continue to play the hero, when you know your destiny is destruction."

"No…it's…NOT!"

Danny burst from his bonds and punched Dark's face in. The evil ghost flew back, and Danny continued his attack.

Dark blasted Danny back, and took a deep breath. Danny, realizing what was about to happen, took his own breath, hoping that the attacks would cancel out.

Two Ghostly Wails met, the shockwaves from the clash shattering glass and cracking stone for half a mile.

An explosion rocked the square as both ghosts flew back. Dark recovered before Danny did, and charged at him. Rain poured down, drenching the combatants, but neither cared. They were staring at each other with hate in their eyes.

"You know I'm inevitable. Why do you fight it?"

"For them," Danny said, pointing to the Fentons, "I promised that I wouldn't become you, and I keep my promises."

"Oh, really? What about your promise to the ghost girl? Your so-called cousin?"

Danny's face fell.

"Now, what were your words? _'He's not going to touch you!' _ Oh, but Plasmius did touch her. Yes, she was melting down before your eyes, all because of the sick fruit-loop. Yes, you saved her, but that doesn't stop the nightmares, does it? A few seconds off with that compound you swiped, and you would have failed her. Had you been stronger, you might have saved her sooner. But, she's probably traumatized by the experience. Who wouldn't be? And, where is she now? Oh, that's right, she's gone again. She flew off dramatically, just like before. You want to help her, but you can't find her. And, even if you did, what then? You can't protect her from Plasmius forever. You're not strong enough. If you had my strength, you could take care of him, for her and all the others he's hurt. But, you won't grasp that power out of some bizarre morality."

"I know the price of it."

"Oh, really?" said Dark, smiling, "You must be weak if you think the price is that high. There are no good guys or bad guys, only power. That's all that matters in the world."

Another exchange of punches, with Danny the worse for the wear.

"Right, like I'm going to take the advice of a guy who forsook his humanity."

Dark Phantom laughed.

"You act like we're different people. Let's be honest. The humanity you seek to keep is a shackle that drags down your ghost. Look at me. I don't need a heart to be strong. I'm the most powerful ghost in the world. Who needs love?"

Dark fired a barrage of ghost rays and green fire. Danny was blasted back, and he flew into the Fenton RV, coming to rest on the dashboard.

Danny groaned. This fight was breaking him. Cuts and bruises littered his body, all of them nasty. He felt several cracked ribs, and he was pretty sure his foot was broken.

"Please…stop it," Danny groaned.

"No, I won't," said Dark Phantom, striding forward, "I am the thing that keeps you up at night, the evil that haunts the darkest corners of your mind, the monster inside you."

"You're…you're not real. You don't exist."

"Oh, I'm real. I'm real to you, and that's what matters."

"No…no…NO! You are not real. I promised that I would never become you!"

"HA! Still _such_ a _child_. A promise means NOTHING!"

"It means EVERYTHING! It's what keeps me going. Yes, I fear a day when I will look in the mirror, and see your face, but I keep going. It's all I can do. I promised I would _never_ become _anything_ like you. I promised them. I KEEP MY PROMISES!"

"Promises are meant to be broken. Look at me."

"I am looking. And that's the reason why I keep them. I know what you did, and I refuse to do the same. _I REJECT YOU!_"

"HA! You can't defeat me! I am FEAR ITSELF! Your worst nightmare brought to life! The darkness within your heart and mind! One day, I will come out. I will rise. It's only a matter of time."

"Not today…Dark," Danny gasped.

He had figured out exactly what this Dark Phantom was. A construct made of fear and darkness. Danny had an idea, and he hoped it would work.

He turned on the RV's high-beams.

"Lights out."

Intense light washed over Dark Phantom, who screamed with pain. His body turned black, and was torn apart. The shadowy tears dissipated into nothingness.

But, as he did, he had one last word for Danny.

"It doesn't matter if you beat me. One day, you will lose. _EVERYTHING_."

Danny fell forward, nearly crashing onto the ground. Two pairs of strong hands caught him. He was lifted up into large arms, carried into the RV, and laid across the backseat. Jack cleared the shattered glass away and started the engine.

"Huntress," Maddie said as she climbed in, "You track down that knight ghost. If that gem could to THIS to Phantom, I don't want to _know_ what kind of havoc it could wreak. We'll make sure he's stable before we join you."

"I'm on it, Mrs. Fenton," the Red Huntress said, taking off.

Maddie leaned over the shaking ghost boy, placing a reassuring hand across his forehead.

"Do you trust us?" she asked as Jack zoomed back to Fenton Works.

"With my…life," Danny said with labored breaths.

Ignoring the incorrectness of the phrase for a ghost, Maddie nodded.

"Do you…trust me?"

Maddie didn't know how to answer. Jack spoke up.

"How long has it been since you first saw that…monster?"

"About a year. Why?"

"The way he talked, it sounded like you go through internal battles everyday. If he was the root of them, then you've been having them for a year. A lesser man would have gone insane by now. But, you keep going. That takes guts, and a lot of heart. I still have a lot questions, but yes, I think I trust you now. That's why we're taking you back to Fenton Works. You're pretty banged up. We want to help. It's the least we can do."

Danny sighed in relief. Then, Maddie asked the question that had been on her mind since the whole thing started.

"Who, or _what_, was that?"

Danny groaned, and looked out the shattered window at the pouring rain.

"My worst nightmare…"

He lost consciousness after that. A ring of light formed around his waist…

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><p><em>Now, check out this Youtube video. Delete the spaces.<em>

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